When reciprocating piston, internal combustion engines are operated, they will inherently generate vibrations originating from the centerline of the engine crankshaft and oriented along a vibration line which passes through said centerline. The vibrating force F.sub.r generated by an engine and transmitted from the crankshaft can be annoying and disruptive, and thus efforts have been made to counteract it and the vibrations resulting therefrom.
Balancing devices are known in the art which can be attached to an engine, and which will generate a balancing force F.sub.b to oppose the vibrating force F.sub.r. However, in previous balancing devices it has been necessary to locate the device in a position on the engine wherein the balancing force F.sub.b generated by the device is aligned with the vibration line S and the point O on the centerline of the crankshaft from which the vibrations emanate. This has severely limited the locational choices for known balancing devices, and has caused engines to which they are attached to be unusually bulky and to have unacceptable large cross sections in the vicinity of where the balancing devices are mounted.
A principal reason prior balancing devices have been limited to mounting locations on the vibration line S of the engine is that if located a distance l away from such vibration line S, their operation will generate a rotating moment M which will then create a further undesirable operating condition.
There is need for a new concept in balancing devices for internal combustion engines, one which does not have the locational limitations of known devices. Specifically, there is need for a new balancing device which can be located in substantially any position on the engine, so that unused empty spaces found about the typical engine can be utilized and engine size and weight can be held to a minimum. The present invention is intended to fill this need.